Pace misses second consecutive practice

~ The veteran tackle is battling a hamstring injury.

ST. LOUIS -- Orlando Pace missed practice for the second straight day Friday with a hamstring injury, but the six-time Pro Bowl player was optimistic that he wouldn't miss any playing time.

"I feel good," Pace said. "We'll see what happens. Once the soreness goes down, hopefully I'll be ready to go."

Pace hurt his left hamstring on Wednesday when he said a teammate stepped on his foot.

"I kind of pulled back and I think I pulled something," Pace said. "I don't think it's that serious, though.

"I probably could have practiced today but it was more precautionary."

Rookie Alex Barron has been at Pace's spot the last two days and Rex Tucker has been at Barron's right tackle spot, and interim coach Joe Vitt said that would be the alignment if Pace can't play Sunday at Houston against the Texans. The Rams (4-6) are coming off two straight losses.

"We'll find out," Vitt said. "We rested him and we'll continue to evaluate it."

Barron, the team's first-round pick, expects to be at his usual spot on the right side on Sunday.

"As far as I know, I was just getting him some rest," Barron said. "As much rest as he needs."

Even with Pace, the Rams' running attack completely stalled last week against the Cardinals with a season-worst 6 yards on 12 carries by Steven Jackson.

Players described the problem as a number of little things.

"It was a breakdown here, a breakdown there," center Andy McCollum said. "You get 10 guys doing a job, one guy screws up and it kills the whole play.

"It's not the same guy every time and I'm as guilty as the next guy."

If Pace plays, it'll be his first game against the team that seriously courted him in the offseason before he signed a multiyear extension with the Rams. Pace made a two-day visit in March to Houston, then signed a seven-year, $52.9 million deal with the Rams the next day.

"It was one of those situations where David Carr and those guys rolled out the red carpet," Pace said. "I enjoyed myself and liked the city and all that. They were ready to get the deal done."

Pace is glad he didn't make the move. The Rams made him the first overall pick of the 1997 draft.

"Hopefully I'll be able to finish my career here," Pace said. "This is a situation where as a player you're looking for security, St. Louis provided that for me and I'm happy to be here."

Noteworthy

• Vitt said he's looking for ways to free up DE Leonard Little, perhaps moving him around and having him bull rush instead of always trying to go around his man. But Little said he just needs to play better. "It's not up to the coaches to try to move me around, I should beat people on my own," Little said. "They can say what they want to say but I've got to go out there and play my game." Little had a cortisone shot for a lingering ankle injury earlier this week.

* Isaac Bruce needs 12 yards receiving to become the 11th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 yards. He needs nine catches to become the 13th player to reach 800 receptions.